Shop Girl
by Pegasus M
Summary: She had helped him. Now it was his turn to help her. Mush lends a hand to a bullied girl on Christmas Eve.
1. The Shop

_Disclaimer: Disney owns _Newsies_.__  
Author's Note: Chapter one of a short three-part fluff piece.  
_

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**The Shop**

They were hopeless at this. The two of them had been out for hours, and at this point, there were sure they had exhausted every single store and vendor in New York. It was dark now; they were disconcerted by the sudden disappearance of the plentiful sunshine from when they began their undertaking. Mush and Kid Blink walked out of Solomona & Hart's bookstore, defeated and tired. It didn't make sense, how fatigued they were: they were young newsboys - they walked around all day, every day. But it was something about walking in search of something that drained all their usual youthful, boundless energy. Even Blink was sighing from lethargy. Their legs were heavy, sore; they could barely lift their feet off the ground.

All the boys of the Newsboy Lodging House had enthusiastically agreed on chipping in to buy Kloppman, the house Superintendent, a Christmas gift this year. This was the first time any of them were attempting to get Kloppman a gift. A real, substantial gift. Not a half-chewed cigar, or a stolen pen, or a piece of worn paper with a scribbled "_Mary Krismus_." Mush had figured that they had accomplished the hard part: gathering enough money to afford a decent present. He hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be to _find_ the decent present. After hours of thinking and looking, Mush was beginning to regret volunteering himself and Blink for the task.

Other people seemed to be having more luck. Mush gazed forlornly at each passerby carrying bulky bags, presumably filled to the brim with gifts and other holiday treats. He scratched at his temple in frustration: even with all the boys contributing for a gift, they could hardly afford anything as nice as what these other people were carrying.

"Maybe we should call it a day, huh?" Blink asked. The shops were closing early, on account of the fact that it was Christmas Eve; everyone was eager to rush home and spend the evening with their families.

Mush nodded regrettably. So much for their surprise for Kloppman. He was kicking himself for putting this off to the last day, but they had all been scrimmaging for cents to the last minute. _Maybe next year_, Mush thought with a dejected sigh.

They proceeded back towards the Lodging House in silence, both boys obviously disappointed. Mush couldn't help but keep harping on what they should have done. They should have planned, as a group, what kind of gift to get for Kloppman. But somewhere in the back of Mush's mind, he knew that none of the other newsboys at the Lodging House had a clue either. They were more familiar with what to give each other - after all, they were all around the same age and were more in touch with what kids desired - but what would be considered a good present for someone elderly like Kloppman, who had seen and experienced far more of life than any of them? And considering that this was the first year the boys were getting a present for the old man, they all, Mush especially, wanted to get him something that would make him genuinely happy.

They stopped walking. Mush and Blink saw it at the same time.

"Hey, what about that place?"

"We didn't look there - "

The two boys unknowingly pointed to the same small shop. They looked at each other, and chuckled.

"All right," Blink said, clapping his hands together hopefully, "let's give it a try."

For some odd reason - maybe it was because they somehow felt as though they'd been given another chance - Mush felt the same inexplicable, perhaps foolish, dash of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to find something after all. One last shop. One last chance.

The storefront was unassuming, humble, its two narrow windows modestly decorated. The shop was sandwiched between a bakery and a pharmacy. Its lights shone brightly from inside, though, and there was a certain inviting quality about it.

The boys took three steps in the store's direction when a stream of people filed out the door. Both thought the same thing: the shop was about to close. They hurried their steps to a jog, hoping they'd have a couple of minutes, at least. Blink reached the door first and in his desperation, jerked the door open with a dramatic gesture. He stopped short. Mush hadn't been paying attention and his face nearly collided with Blink's shoulder. He sent his friend a curious glance. Blink's mouth had dropped open and he had a rather dumb look on him. Mush followed his gaze and upon setting eyes on the scene before him, he, in turn, stared in awe.

The shop had appeared small from the outside, but it was an illusion. What the shop did not have in width, it made up in height. Three floors were filled with toys and books and carved wooden figures and glass cases filled with crystal and porcelain figurines. The upper floors were set up as balconies and built-in shelves lined all the walls around them. Hanging from the ceiling was a modest chandelier, but somehow it glimmered extraordinarily. On the ground floor were magnificent displays of craftsmanship - various dolls, stuffed animals, wooden train sets - set atop round tabletops. Though the storefront barely indicated that it was aware of the holidays, the inside shone with flashes of reds and greens.

"Shut the door! You're letting in an awful draft!" admonished a voice, breaking through both boys' glazed states of admiration.

Mush immediately shuffled inside, pushing Blink forward, and shut the door behind him. They looked in the direction the voice had come from and their eyes landed squarely on a group of four girls crowding around a table elaborately decorated with a miniature Christmas tree on top. The group wore identical expressions of haughty disapproval, but they quickly changed when Mush and Blink stepped inside, muttering an apology for leaving the door open.

The girls lowered their voices and tried to hide behind thinly veiled smiles, but their interest was obvious. Mush and Blink immediately began searching through the merchandise, bypassing the gossiping girls. Any other day, Mush would certainly have taken it upon himself to strike a casual conversation, but this was no time to dally.

"This place is huge," Mush said in wonder.

"Yeah," Blink agreed, his voice conveying his contained excitement. He turned to his friend. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Mush confirmed with a curt nod. "Split up." Though day had started casually, with Mush and Blink glossing over and meandering through stores, they became more and more methodical after perusing through each store - towards the end of the day, of course, when they began running out of time.

Something must have caught Blink's attention, as he straight away headed for the stairs to the second level.

Methodically, Mush turned to start from the left side of the store where several Christmas wreaths and decors were placed, twinkling and waiting to be purchased. Kloppman loved putting up holiday decorations. _Maybe he could use a few more_, Mush thought optimistically. He got sidetracked, however, when he spotted a rather elaborately whittled toy train set on display. He had never had toys of his own before. Mush bent over to take a closer look, studying the detailed curves and nooks in fascination, running his hands along the smoothly carved wooden tracks. A sudden movement to his left jogged him back to reality. He jerkily straightened and cleared his throat.

It was one of the girls from before. She nervously twirled a strand of dark blond hair around her finger as she slowly rounded the table, seemingly interested in the train set. Her attention, however, was squarely on Mush; her blue-green eyes flickered up, meeting his eyes for the briefest of seconds, then she coyly avoided his gaze through her lashes.

Mush smiled politely. He was familiar with this dance. And he would have been lying if he said he wasn't tempted to ask for her name, but -

_Kloppman. Must get gift for Kloppman._

Mush balled his fists and launched himself towards the Christmas decor section, leaving the girl in a state of flabbergasted confusion. He managed, with quite some difficulty and self-restraint, to convince himself that he had no time for such distractions like a pretty girl. Mush quickly looked through stacks of decorations, trying to get his mind off of her. He was eliminating many products solely based on their price, and he was starting to think there was nothing the boys could get Kloppman within their budget. Mush paused and sighed. He rubbed at his eyes - they were tired. But he continued on. He couldn't let Kloppman down - even though he was completely unaware of what the boys were trying to prepare for him - and he couldn't let his friends down either. They were counting on Mush and Blink.

He sure hoped Blink was having more luck.

_"Ah-choo!"_

"Bless y - " Mush began automatically, but stopped to look to his right, towards the direction where the sound had come. There was nothing there but a red velvet curtain. His dark brows snapped together in vexation. _The curtain just sneezed_. Mush shook his head. _The curtain just what?_ He thought he was hearing things, but just then, the curtain sprung to life with a ripple of movement.

_"Ah-choo!"_

There it was again. There was someone, something, hidden behind it. With an impulsive curiosity, Mush approached the curtain slowly, his hand extended, carefully reaching for the edge of the fabric. His fingers curled around the luscious velvet material and he began to pull it back.

Mush didn't notice the other set of fingers emerging from behind the curtain.


	2. The Girl

_Disclaimer: Disney owns __Newsies._

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**The Girl**

Mush didn't notice the other set of fingers emerging from behind the curtain. He was slowly peeling back the curtain when it swept open with a flourish. Mush jumped back in surprise.

"What d'ya want?" snapped a small girl sitting on a stool. Her brown eyes hid behind a disarray of strawberry blond curls that fell scrappily around her face, barely reaching her shoulders. Unless she herself had absolutely no skills with a pair of shears, someone had obviously given her one bad haircut. She held the curtain up with her left hand, scowling at him.

"I, uh... I - bless you."

"What?"

"You sneezed."

"Oh." She softened. "Thank you." She peered around the curtain, then hopped off her seat. "You looking for somethin'?"

Her change in demeanor took him by surprise, and now it was his turn to be confused. "What?"

"You looking for somethin'? Need any help?"

"Um..."

"I'm guessing you're here to buy someone a present. Who's it for? Your ma, your girl, your brother, your friend, your - ?"

Mush held up a hand, getting her point. "I'm tryin' to get somethin' for, um, for the Superintendent of the Lodging House I stay at."

"Lodging House, huh," she repeated, nodding slowly. "Lots of boys to take care of, I bet."

"Yeah," Mush confirmed.

She waved him over as she paced thoughtfully through the shop aisles. She stopped at a table, rearranging the miniature rocking horses on display. She was very meticulous in her arrangement, moving some of the toys a fraction of an inch, making sure everything was spaced evenly. Mush was trying to figure out who this girl was when she addressed him again. "What's he like and how old is he, would you say? How long have you known him for?"

"Well, Kloppman is, he's the best. And, I don't know how old he is, but he's… older. Old," Mush said, putting it bluntly.

"An elderly gentleman," she reiterated to herself contemplatively.

"And... he's always there for us. Like, when he helped us paint the picket signs during the strike. And when he didn't rat out Jack when Warden Snyder came snoopin' around. And he always makes sure we get up on time to sell our papes - "

"Did you say strike?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mush answered proudly.

Her lips turned up into the slightest of smiles. "I remember that."

"You do?"

She nodded ardently. "I was there, too. That was before I started working here." Mush couldn't help but grin as she continued, "You boys were very brave to do that."

"Well, I mean… yeah," Mush ultimately agreed, forgoing modesty. He blushed slightly.

"You didn't answer my question," she said.

_What was she talking about?_ "What question?"

"How long have you known this Superintendent for?"

Mush was taken aback by the sudden change of topic, but he obliged. "For as long as I can remember," he answered softly. He thought about the first day he met Kloppman and the newsboys who soon became his friends - Blink, Jack, Race, Skittery, Crutchy… "A lot of us back at the Lodging House - we've all been there for years. Everyone said Kloppman was the reason they stuck around Duane Street when they first got there. And then we all grew up together. We're… the closest thing to a family any of us got. We _are_ a family."

At that, her face lit up. "I've got it." She beckoned him to follow her as she sped to the back of the shop. _This girl sure seems to know her way around_, Mush thought as he quickened his step. She grabbed a shelf ladder from the side and dragged it across until it was positioned in the right spot. After steadying herself on the bottom step, she climbed up to the top and struggled to pull something free from the shelf. When she came back to ground level, she plopped a heavy black book into his chest.

Mush grabbed at it and looked at her puzzlingly. "What's this?"

"That's your gift," she said, as though the answer was obvious. "For your Superintendent."

He gave her a skeptical glance. How could this girl, who had never even met Kloppman, find a gift for him in the span of five seconds, when Mush and Blink, who had known Kloppman for almost their entire lives, couldn't find anything in the span of an entire day? But she was grinning so proudly, and she was so clearly sure that this book or whatever it was, was the gift for Kloppman. So Mush took a chance, and set the book down on a nearby table to give it a look. It was rather hefty, and bound in black leather. He ran his hands over the rippled texture of the cover before flipping open to the first page. It was empty.

She justified her choice for him. "Here are the words I picked up from your description: 'old,' 'remember,' 'grew up,' 'family.' You know what goes with those words? Memories. I sensed a little nostalgia, too, which is why I think this would be the perfect gift."

"A photograph album," he said, his voice low, filled with revelation. He flipped through the pages; though they were empty, he could just imagine filling them up with pictures of Kloppman and all the newsboys. He could imagine serious ones, like those official portraits in the papers, and silly ones, to bring a smile to Kloppman's face.

"It's a great place to store memories," she said quietly. "I think the camera is the most amazing invention next to chocolate," she added.

Mush's chuckled, his eyes never leaving the book. His next words came out with a tone of wonder. "We've been thinking about what to get him for hours… how did you do that? I mean, think of something like this just from what I said?"

She shrugged. "It's how I got the job."

"Job?"

"I work here, you know. I don't always wear a crazy getup like this."

He had been so preoccupied by her upfront personality that he did not even notice the ridiculous costume she was wearing. She had on a white shirt and a bright red and green striped full skirt with lace trimmings. Her hands were covered by gloves in the same luminous green shade as her skirt. A tiny replica of a wreath was pinned to her shirt. It looked as though someone had accidentally splashed paint all over a Southern Belle's ball gown.

'It's supposed to go with the shop's holiday theme," she explained. The shop owners, a relatively well-off elderly couple, had taken off early to spend the evening with their family, leaving the shop in the capable hands of its only employee.

"Oh," was all Mush could manage to say in regards to the costume. He was trying to hold back his laughter, but ended up covering his mouth with a cough to cover up the few chuckles that escaped.

"So? Is this the one?" she asked, her tone becoming business-like again as she gestured towards the album.

"I… I don't know. I don't think we could afford this, ya know?" Mush said hesitantly.

She pressed her lips together and nodded in understanding. After a few moments, she declared, "Negotiate."

"Negotiate?"

"We'll negotiate a price." She pointed at the album. "That's been sitting in this shop for far too long anyway. We need the shelf space."

Mush couldn't tell if she was being honest or if she was just hiding generosity behind a veil of practicality. But he was grateful for the chance to bargain either way. He needed to find Blink; Mush couldn't wait to show him what he - or, well, what the girl had found. Mush asked her to give him one second to find his friend, and he bounded towards the stairs. He reached the top step when a clucking of the tongue drew his attention back to the floor level of the store.

"Well, if it isn't Ruby Cornfield." Mush was surprised to see that it was the train set girl who had spoken. She and her friends approached the shop girl, each of their arms crossed in the identical, contemptuous way.

"Cornfeld," the shop girl muttered lamely.

"What did you say?"

"It's Cornfeld," she repeated, though her voice was not much stronger.

"Ruby _Cornfield_. That is such a lovely dress you're wearing," the train set girl said, her tone laced with mockery.

"Costume," said the shop girl, Ruby, her eyes downcast. "It's a costume."

"It just goes perfectly with your hair. Wouldn't you say so, girls?" Her friends giggled in agreement. "Where _did_ you get that lovely haircut?"

For just a moment, Ruby seethed. "You know perfectly well where I got this… this…" she sniffled, unable to finish her thought. "I have work to do," she said and hurriedly made her departure.

The group of girls turned to face each other before breaking into another round of laughter. Mush clamped his jaw. He watched as they strolled back towards the doll sets, chattering gaily. His grip on the photograph album tightened as he retraced his steps, going back downstairs. He was back in front of the velvet red curtain and, after a moment's hesitation, he gently pulled it back. Just as he had thought, Ruby was back on her stool, wringing her hands.

She had been hiding from those girls when he found her the first time, and she was hiding now.

"What d'ya want?" she asked just as she had before, though the bite was gone from her voice this time. The words came out as a broken whisper.

Mush leaned his head against the wall. "Sorry."

"For what?" she grumbled.

He took a breath. "I saw what happened."

She shot him a glance and he saw that her eyes were glazed with moisture. She noticed the recognition in his face and quickly looked back down. "It's nothing."

She didn't want to talk, he could tell. She just wanted to be left alone. But Mush wasn't going to let her be alone. Not on Christmas Eve, and certainly not after what she'd done for him. "Didn't look like nothin' to me," he said. "You know them?"

She didn't seem like she was going to budge, but then she surprised him. "I thought they were my friends," she mumbled. She was uncertain of whether she could trust Mush; the way she spoke was like someone taking the first tentative steps onto a frozen pond. "They were so nice to me at first. But…" Mush waited patiently as she gathered her emotions. "But it was just a game. And I was so stupid - I didn't realize they were playing with me until I, until I looked in the mirror and saw them laughing behind me after… after they did this." She gestured towards her hair. Her shoulders slumped down even further, but only momentarily, for she straightened suddenly. "You buying the album?"

She was changing the subject again, but Mush knew better this time: she was trying to hide. But there was no way he was going to leave her here sulking, afraid, just because of those callous girls. He decided to help Ruby turn the table on them, and his mischievous mind was turning quickly, trying to come up with an idea.

He grabbed at the first thing that came to mind. Mush took hold of Ruby's hand and pulled her out from behind the curtain, ignoring her sharp yelp of surprise.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed.

"Who is he?" Mush demanded loudly, his eyes set, serious and angry. They were front and center now; he could feel the eyes of the group of girls on the two of them.

She looked at him as though he were crazy. "Huh?"

"I know there's another guy," he said. "Who is he?"

"_What are you talking about_?"

"The guy you're seein'. I wanna know who he is." Mush hastily crossed his arms in an attempt to look infuriated. "Because anyone who touches or says anything about my girl is… is in for a lot of trouble." Mush kind of cringed at that last part - it sounded kind of lame to him once the words were out in the air.

But no one seemed to take notice. Especially not Ruby. "You're _what_?" she yelled. She took a few steps back. "You're crazy," Ruby said, and she began to move away from him.

_This is not good_, he thought desperately. He went to catch her and in the midst of doing so, caught the expressions on the girls' faces at the other end of the store: disbelief, mixed with a little bit of awe. Mush almost smiled in satisfaction, but he managed to keep his face straight.

He grasped her elbow and Ruby spun around. His face mere inches away from hers, Mush looked her directly in the eyes. "Don't do this," he said tenderly. At that moment, he could have sworn he heard one of the girls sigh with envy.

"What's… goin' on?"

Mush gazed up. Blink was back, standing at the foot of the stairs, appearing incredibly confused. There was a few seconds pause as no one - no one but Mush, that is - could really explain what was going on. Mush had to think quickly. _Think!_ he urged his head. How he wished he were like Jack at this moment…

No longer able to use the confused silence as his time to brainstorm, he spoke. "Is this him?" Mush asked Ruby. "You're seein' my friend?" He hoped Blink would catch on quickly.

"_What_? I'm not seeing anyone!"

Blink's mouth dropped open. "I… I thought we had somethin' special," he said.

Mush could have hugged Blink just then. His friend always was quick on the uptake.

Ruby's eyes widened with incredulity. "I don't even know you!"

"Ruby, if this _guy_ is botherin' you, you just give the word and I'll take care of him," Mush said, glaring at Blink. Blink glared back, but he momentarily failed when one corner of his lips twitched slightly. Mush almost burst out laughing.

"No one's taking care of anyone. You're both out of your minds and - "

"You ain't good enough for her," Blink spat.

"I promised I'd protect her." Mush briefly eyed the girls to his right. "No matter what. No matter who it was."

Blink caught the small gesture. "Yeah? Well, I'd take anyone on to prove my love for…" he thought for a moment. "Ruby," he remembered. "Anyone," he emphasized. "Don't matter if it's a guy or a girl or a baby, I'll take them all on!" he said fiercely.

_A baby?_ Mush wanted to fall on the floor in hysterics. He clutched at his stomach to still the laughter that wanted to spill out. He put on a scowl to match Blink's ferocity and asked Ruby, "Has anyone been botherin' you? Tell me right now and I'll prove to you that I'm better than this guy."

Blink scoffed and muttered, "'_This guy'_?"

Even though Ruby thought the whole situation was ridiculous and insane, Mush's last words got her thinking. She didn't mean to, but her thoughts prompted her to look across the shop, to precisely where the group of girls stood, still watching the trio. Mush and Blink turned towards her line of sight at the same time, each wearing a mask of fury. The girls shrunk back. Mush especially noticed the train set girl - who had done most of the taunting - as she nearly bumped into her friends standing behind. They averted their eyes, unsure of what to do. One of the girls standing back couldn't seem to take the anxiety anymore, for she scurried towards the door. The others, one by one, followed suit, until they were all clamoring to exit through the narrow entrance. After a few seconds of pushing and shoving, they were all gone. The door closed behind them with a jingle.

"They won't be botherin' you no more," Mush said to Ruby. Then he clapped Blink on the shoulder and smiled. "Thanks."

Realization hit Ruby finally. "_Oh_." Slowly, she smiled, and then that smile turned into laughter. All three of them were laughing now, wiping tears of mirth from their eyes. "And here I thought…" She shook her head. "Thank you," she said appreciatively.

Mush waved it off nonchalantly. "Nah. I mean, you helped us big time." He turned to Blink, pointing at the large album that was still in his hands. "A photograph album for Kloppman. What d'ya think?"

The same expression of revelation that Mush had had came over Blink's face. "Kloppman would love that," he said enthusiastically, taking the album into his hands and running his hands along the cover, just like Mush had done.

"Ruby thought of it," Mush admitted.

Blink chuckled. "We'd been looking all day for a gift. But… can we afford it?" he whispered to Mush.

Ruby stepped in. "How much can you afford?" They told her, a bit sheepishly, the paltry sum they had in their pockets. Then she stuck her chin in the air, took the photograph album from Blink's hands and said definitively, "Sold."

Mush sputtered. "Really?"

She grinned. "Really. Now, the question is: do you have any photographs to put in here?"

Their faces fell. Blink said, "We've got one group picture. From the strike."

"Hmm, that won't be enough." She paused and began to pace around the shop as she thought. Ruby had gotten this job because she had a knack for understanding the customers. She took pride in that, and always made sure they left the shop confident and satisfied. This time was no different - she was sure the album itself was a marvelous gift according to what the newsboy had told her, but… because it was Christmas Eve and because the two boys had gone to far lengths to help her, she was feeling extra generous tonight. "Gather your friends from the Lodging House," she ordered suddenly. "And meet me back here in half an hour."

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_Author's Note: Those boys are so silly._

_Thank you Bekah, Repeat, and stress for your kind reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)_


	3. The Gift

**Disclaimer: **Disney owns _Newsies_.

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**The Gift**

It was nearly noon when they came bounding up Duane Street the next day. Mush rounded the corner, calling for Ruby to keep up. Blink saw them through the window of the Lodging House and waved excitedly. He ran out the front door to meet them, but stopped short when he saw Ruby up close. She looked incredibly tired. Obviously, she had not slept at all last night. But there was a sincere and excited smile on her face, as though she didn't mind one bit that she hadn't slept a wink.

"Sorry we're late," Mush said in between huffs. Ruby caught up several seconds later. He grinned triumphantly. "We're finished! Does Kloppman know?"

"He has no clue. You guys have no idea how hard it was to keep him from gettin' his hands on the tree," Blink muttered. It was tradition for Kloppman to distribute the gifts from under their small tree on Christmas morning. And it had been Blink's job to stall him from doing so today. "None of us opened our presents yet," he assured. Blink grimaced slightly then. "I had to spill hot chocolate on Klopps at one point - he didn't even blink an eye. Damn, he really loves his Christmas…"

Mush had left for the shop early in the morning to pick up Kloppman's gift from Ruby. It was apparent that she had been working through much of the night, for everything came out beautifully. Mush wanted to put all the finishing touches on the gift; she helped him with the task and wrapped it up tidily, and as she sent him out the shop door to make sure he got back to the Lodging House on time, Mush turned on his heel and grabbed her hand, urging her to come with him. She refused repeatedly, but then he snatched her keys from her pocket - a trick he picked up from Swifty - and locked her out of her own shop.

The three entered the Lodging House, Ruby trailing behind apprehensively. It was a small foyer - seeming even smaller considering the number of people crowding the room - but there was a certain welcoming air of homeliness about the place. Kloppman had decorated the Lodging House as usual, and the ornaments seemed to become more festive, more colorful each year. The red of the poinsettias and the green of the Christmas tree warmed the room, while the scent of spices like peppermint and cinnamon danced and mingled delightfully with the sweetness of chocolate.

There were other girls visiting the Lodging House - and Mush could tell Ruby was both relieved and hesitant: relieved that she wasn't the only female in the building, and hesitant because the one group of girls she had ever befriended turned out to be a cruel pretense. But Mush knew these girls, and he knew them to be genuine and understanding, and he knew Ruby needed people like them to heal the hurt and betrayal she had endured. And he knew Christmas was the perfect time to start the healing, which was why he had asked them all, with Kloppman's permission, to come join them Christmas Day.

And so Mush nudged Ruby towards them until she plopped down onto a chair.

"Now that we're all here," Kloppman announced, "let's get started, shall we?" He immediately began pulling presents from under the tree and calling out names.

All the younger boys eagerly tore open their gifts, smiling broadly all the while. The lobby floor soon filled with crumpled papers. Mush was opening a present of his own when Tumbler zipped past him, papers flying behind him, and jumped on Skittery's back with a grateful and excited shout. Race was casually waving Jack off with a "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," but Jack pulled the shorter boy into a one-armed hug.

Kloppman, in the meanwhile, was kneeling on the floor, still fishing around under the tree to see if he had missed any. Mush stood then and made his way towards the tree, carefully avoiding the mess that had accumulated. Standing over Kloppman, Mush said, "You missed one."

Kloppman squinted and adjusted his spectacles, still not looking up. "Well, where is it, boy?" he asked, clearing papers out of the way under the tree.

Mush grinned broadly. "Right here."

The Superintendent glanced up. "Oh," he uttered with a chuckle. "I don't know how I missed that one," he said, taking the gift from Mush's outstretched hands. He cleared his throat to read out the recipient's name. "Klopp…" He paused to make sure he was seeing correctly. "…man."

All the boys in the room had the same rather stupidly self-satisfied grins on their faces - they knew they caught him completely unawares. They were excited to see his reaction.

"Whatcha waitin' for?" said Jack.

"Open it!" Snipeshooter encouraged.

Mush watched Kloppman slowly rise from his knees and sit himself on the chair nearby. Kloppman was just staring at the gift in disbelief. The old man was touched. He finally began to unwrap the present, his fingers moving carefully. Soon the photograph album was unveiled and Kloppman took it all in, every single detail, with his eyes and his hands. He opened the book and let out a chuckle upon seeing the first page. There, on that first page, was a group photograph of the boys looking very solemn and deep in thought. He flipped to the next page and this time a hoot of laughter escaped his lips. "Look at you boys!" he said, pointing at the next picture. Then everyone gathered behind him, eagerly trying to see themselves immortalized in photograph. In the second photo, the boys were gazing into the camera, each and every one of them grinning like goofs. There was one with the boys playing a game of craps, another of Tumbler and Boots and Snipe hiding amongst stuffed animals, another of Race with Skittery holding up a cup, Crutchy and Bumlets play-fighting with their walking staffs. There were individual photos, too: there was Mush gazing intensely into the far distance, Blink sitting atop a stack of papers, Jack with his Cowboy hat pulled down low over his eyes, standing next to a wooden train set.

"These are just… these are wonderful," Kloppman murmured.

"Yeah, well, we know how much ya love us. Now you can look at us all day," said Jack, winking.

Kloppman sent him a lightly exasperated look and shook his head, provoking chortles from all the kids. He closed the album delicately and stood from his seat. He quickly excused himself, saying that there was more hot chocolate to be had, and shuffled into the back kitchen, holding the album tightly to his chest. It was obvious Kloppman was trying to hide his sentiments, but Mush saw it - he saw the unmistakable emotion in Kloppman's misty eyes and he knew that the old man was incredibly moved by their gesture.

The boys continued their celebrations, reveling in the new gifts they received, and cheering when Kloppman returned with more steaming mugs.

Mush peeked over to where he had left Ruby and saw her conversing animatedly with two other merry guests. Pie Eater, Specs, and Dutchy were with them and Mush overheard the boys thanking Ruby for all the photos. "Ya even made Pie look decent!" Dutchy exclaimed in mock astonishment, which earned him a smack across the back of his head from Pie. Jack clapped Ruby firmly on the shoulder - his way of conveying his gratitude. Others soon joined in, imparting their thanks and expressing how impressed they were.

"See?" Mush said, pulling up a chair next to Ruby.

"See what?" she asked.

"I told you they'd like you," Mush said proudly. "Thanks," he added quietly. "Did ya see the look on Kloppman's face? He loved everything."

She didn't respond and turned away, focusing on her hands in both uncertainty and bashfulness. Tumbler suddenly appeared by their side and he pulled eagerly at Ruby's sleeve, asking her if she could teach him how to use a camera and to take pictures the way she and some person named Denton did. She chuckled softly, and upon seeing the earnestness in his face, Ruby promised that she would be happy to show him the ropes. Tumbler, immensely satisfied with her answer, skipped away happily to tell his friends.

"No, Mush," Ruby said finally. "Thank _you_."

---

_Author's Note: The End. Thank you to everyone who followed along with this holiday fluff. Shoutouts go out to Bekah, Repeat, stress, Hedgi, and huffle-bibin - I really appreciated all your encouraging feedback!_

_(And in case anyone was wondering, Kloppman and his hot chocolate love is a reference to last year's holiday story, _Allegretto_. :) )_

_Happy Holidays!_


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